Toronto Regulates Dog and Cat Sales at Pet Shops

Following the largest case of animal cruelty in the country's history in which 500 dogs were seized from a Quebec puppy mill, the Toronto City Council voted unanimously yesterday to regulate the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops, this according to an NPR report.

According to the report, the city has restricted Toronto pet shops from selling any dogs or cats that are not pre-approved. For pet shops, "pre-approved" means that they can't sell any animals that don't come from a legitimate shelter, a registered rescue group, or the Humane Society.

For pet shops, the move by Toronto seems to be yet another blow to their industry which has come under heavy fire as of late. Many pet shops have been known to work in conjunction or association with puppy mills, commercial breeding facilities that place more emphasis on the sale of a cute dog or cat than they do on animal welfare.

Animal rights activists in the country hope this is another step towards an eventual ban on selling dog or cats in pet shops at all.

What do you think about this story? Is Toronto making the right effort in regulating pet shop sales of dogs and cats? Or should pet shops be totally banned from selling dogs or cats at all? Let us know your thoughts in a comment!